Letter-file or the like.



W. A. COK, R. LETTER FILE Ofi THE UKE.

APPUCATION mi@ Anza, m15.

atented Oct. 10,1916.

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INVENTOR 25%@ .fzm

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WILLIAM A. COOKE, JR., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LETTER-Eliason THE LIKE.

Specicaticn of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application filed April 26, 1915. Serial No. 24,091.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VILLIAM A. COOKE, Jr., acitizen of the United States, residing 'in the borough of Brooklyn,county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Letter-Files or the like, of which thefollowing is a` specification.

This invention relates to letter files, temporary binders and othersimilar devices of the typein which prongs or like filing members areprovided for receiving the papers filed. In this type of binder somemeans for perforating the papers is practically necessary. Binders ofthe character set forth in the Dow patents for instance Nos. 849,7 7 4and 849,836 wherein the prongs are of easily bendable metal are not inthemselves adapted to provide properly spaced perforations, becausewhile the bases of the prongs are situated at a fixed distance apart,the points of the prongs are seldom maintained at the same distance andthe prongs in themselves are so easily bent that they can not safely berelied upon to provide means for properly positioning the sheets ifforced upon the prongs Without being previously perforated. It isdesirable that the backs of the sheets should be evenly arranged and forthis purpose it is important that the perforations which are formedtherein should be evenly positioned withl relation to the back. It isdesirable that the sheets should be symmetrically arranged in the binderwith reference to their top and bottom edges, and that means should beprovided to perforate the sheets so as to produce such arrangement, andthat such means should be simple, inexpensive, not complicated andshould furthermore be always attached to the binder or file so as to bein position for use whenever desired.

My invention aimsv to provide means which shall be attached to the file,shall be simple-and inexpensive to produce and impossible to get out oforder for properly perforating the sheets before they are placed on theprongs so that the perforations are not only properly positioned withrespect to the back of the sheet but likewise are symmetrically arrangedAwith relation to the top and bottom of the sheet.

To this end my invention consists in providing the cover of the file orbinder with an aperture and with means which will indicate the positionof such aperture when the paper is in place over the same and inassociating with suoli aperture a gage for indicating the position ofthe side of the sheet together with a gage for indicating the positionof the back ofthe sheet so that the sheet when in position to beperforated may be correctly positioned so that the perforation may beformed therein at the desired distance not only from the back but fromthe sides.

A desirable form in which my invention may be embodied is illustrated inthe accompanying drawing wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view, partlybroken, of a letter file open illustrating a sheet of paper -just afterthe same has been punched. Fig.

2 is a section on the line 2 2 of the cover and perforating means. Fig.3 is a similar sectionon the line B-Sg and Fig. 4 is the perforatedsheet.

In the drawing I have illustrated a file of the type set forth in thepatents to Dow above referred to, wherein are provided two covers A andB having a back C which is folded at its middle as shown at a to providewhat is in effect a hinge for the covers.' Guards Z) c are provided,mounted on upper and lower flaps b1 01, the lower of which c carries aplurality of flexible prongs Z Z1 which are designed to pass throughperfo-rations in the papers filed, and the upper of which is formed withslots e e1 which are designed to receive the prongs as the upper guardis moved into position over the rear edges of the papers. The prongs arethen bent over by hand along the upper surface of the guard Z) as shownand clamps such as f f1 are swung rearwardly so that they pass over thetops of the bent prongs and hold the latter securely in place. This typeof file is of very cheap construction, and has the advantage that itsclamping mechanism takes up little room so that the total thickness ofthe binder is very little in excess of the combined thicknesses of thecovers and the filed papers between them; This results in an importantadvantage in that the file requires a very small storage space when 'itcontains few papers, and that such storage space is the practicalminimum required for the bulk of papers inclosed in the ile. It ispractically impossible in this type of ileto provide a perforatingmechanism without neutralizing this important advantage. According to myinvention, h0wever,1 provide this or any other type of file with apuncturing device, as distinguished from a perforating mechanism, whichdoes not substantially increase the bulk of the file, which is extremelycheap and efficient, and which has the great advantage that it can neverbe lost or mislaid srl) that it is always at hand in use of the e.

The means provided according to my invention for perfor-ating the sheetand for gaging the position of such perforations with respect not onlyto the back of the sheet but to the side thereof as well are illustratedas operating in connection with the cover of the binder.

The cover A has a perforation E formed therein and when the sheet ofpaper is laid on the said cover a pencil or other perforating instrumentmay be passed through same and form the desired perforation in the sheetof paper. It is desirable that the perforations in the said sheetsshould be pro erly positioned with respect to the back of the sheet andaccordingly the gage F provides means for positioning the back of thesheet.

An important feature of my invention is the provision of means forpositioning the perforation in the sheet with respect to the top andbottom or as I have termed it sides thereof, and for this purpose I haveprovided a gage G which is perpendicular to gage F and serves toposition the sheet with respect to the sides so that the perforation maybe properly vformed therein. I have illustrated the cover as providedwith but a single perforation. Usually the fastening means in binders ofthe character referred to are arranged in pairs. Therefore, the sidegage G is distant from the perforation E one-half the distance betweenthe said fastening means. By this means the sheet may be symmetricallyfolded as upon the line Z1, and the folded side of the sheet brought toposition by means of the gage G and the back of the sheet brought toposition by means of gage F whereupon two punctures will be formed inthe sheet by the perforating instrument and the sheet when opened out asillustrated in Fig. 4 will be perforated at H H1 and these perforationswill be properly spaced with respect to the back, top and bottom of thesheets and will insure that when the sheet is placed in the i'ile itwill be symmetrically arranged with relation to the other sheetstherein.

The form in which my invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing comprisesfa strip I which is suitably secured to the cover andis perforated at z' so that when the said strip is in operative positionthe. perforation i will aline with the cover perforation E and the saidstrip I is attached tothe cover at J, the attachment as to abut againstthe stop J and the folded edge Z1 abuts 'against the stop K and in thisposition a pencil or other implement M is passed through theperforations z' and E as l indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. Preferably thesaid stops will be integral with a boX like structure which is formed ofthin sheet metal such as tin, or tinned iron, having a bottom plate Nwhich is perforated and receives an eyelet 0 which passes through theperforation E in the cover and secures the said structure in place. Thesaid structure furthermore has the strip I formed as a top plate andthis is integral and is secured thereto by the back portion J. The endflange K is integral with the said structure and may be bent from eitherthe back or top or bottom plates. It is illustrated as bent up from thebottom plate. The said boX provides a simple and convenient means ofreceiving the paper to be punctured and of holding the same during thepuncturing and enabling the stops for gaging the sheet with respect tothe positioning of the puncture to the back of the sheet and the sidesor top and bottom thereof to be simply, compactly and economicallyprovided. The projection caused by the boX is slight and does not affectthe binder, particularly as when the binder is folded it does not lieover the guards but outside thereof. The device is not apt to get out oforder or break and will last as long as the file.

I have illustrated the most desirable form of constructing my inventionnow known to me, but the same may be modified within the limits of theappended claims.

What I claim is zl. A binder or file for sheets of paper and the like,comprising fastening means for the sheets, a cover having an aperturetherethrough and a strip of material secured to said cover, and havingan aperture, which when said strip is in operative position registerswith the cover aperture a guide for the back edge of the sheet and asecond guide adapted to gage an edge of the sheet located at rightangles to said back edge and distant from said alined apertures a spaceequal to substantially half the distance between the fastening meanswhereby the hole is properly spaced from the back and from the top andbottom.

2. A binder or file for sheets of paper and the like, comprisingfastening means for the sheets, a cover having an aperture therewith thebottom plate N y Sii Leed-58s through and strip of materialy secured tosaid cover, and having `.an aperture, which when said strlp 1sr inoperative position registersI with the cover aperture and a 'stop forthe side of the sheetv located a distance lfrom said alined apertures,substantially equal to one-halft'he distance between the fastening meanswhereby the sheet is gaged to properly space a pair of holes to besimultaneously formed therein from a folded side of said sheet.

3. A binder or file for sheets of paper and the like, comprisingfastening means for the sheets, a cover having an aperture therethroughand a strip of material secured to said cover and having an apertureadapted to register with the cover aperture, the back of the stripserving as a stop to correctly space the hole to be formed in the sheetfrom the back and a stop for the side of the sheet whereby the sheet isgaged to correctly space said hole from the side of the sheet.

4. A binder or file for sheets of paper and the likecomprising fasteningmeans for the sheets, a cover having an aperture therethrough and a boXsecured to said cover having a top portion with an aperture registeringwith the cover aperture, an end flange and a back flange, said flangesserving to position the sheet to be punched from the side and backthereof.

5. A binder or file for sheets of paper and the like comprisingfastening means for the sheets, a cover having an aperture therethroughand a boX formed of thin sheet metal with a bottom portion secured tosaid cover, a portion bent up and then bent parallel with the cover toform a top portion, said top plate having an aperture adapted toregister with the cover aperture, an end flange on saidboX, said endflange and the connection between the top and bottom portions serving asstops to position the sheet to be punched from the side and backthereof.

6. A binder or file for sheets of paper and the like comprisingfastening means for the sheets, a cover having an aperture therethroughand a boX formed of thin sheet metal with a bottom portion secured tosaid cover by an eyelet passing through a perforation in said bottomportion and the cover perforation, a portion bent up and then bentparallel with the cover to form a top portion, said top plate having anaperture adapted to register with the cover aperture, an end flange onsaid box, said end flange and the connection between the top and bottomportions serving as stops to position the sheet to be punched from theside and back thereof.

7. A binder or file for sheets of paper and the like comprisingfastening means for the sheets, a cover having an aperture therethroughand a box formed of thin sheet metal having a perforated bottom platesev 'cover, artopf pla-te formedintegral with the bottonin plate havingperforation regi'stei'ing with said eyelet and an integralend flange,said flange and the connection between thev vtop andl bottom platesserving as stop f to position the sheet to be punched fomthe side `andback thereof.

8: A file or'. theulike .having fastening asas adapted a' pass thrughtherrer' at applurality of points and having a cover forming a supportfor a paper sheet to' be perfoated, the cover having an aperture thereinadapted to lie under the paper when in position, a strip adapted to lieabove the paper when in position and having an aperture adapted to'register with the cover aperture and to permit the paper to beperforated by an instrument passing through both said perforations meansfor positioning the paper with relation to the back of the sheet and agage for positioning the paper with respect to the side of the sheet.

9. A file or the like having fastening means adapted to pass through thepaper at a plurality of points and having a cover forming a support fora paper sheet to be perforated, the cover having an aperture thereinadapted to lie under the paper when in position, a sheet metal structureextending crosswise of the cover and comprising correspondinglyperforated top and bottom plates connected at their sides and an endflange, an eyelet passing through the perforations in the cover andbottom plate, said top and bottom plates adapted to receive a foldedsheet and the connections between the plates and the end flange formingstops for positioning a sheet inserted between said plates with relationto the back and side edges, and said perforation and eyelet adapted toreceive a pencil or the like to perforate said sheet.

10. A file or the like having fastening means adapted to pass throughthe paper at two points and having a cover forming a support for a papersheet to be perforated, the cover having an aperture therein adapted tolie under'. the paper when in position, means for indicating theposition of the aperture when the paper is in position to be perforated,a gage for positioning the back of the sheet with respect to suchaperture and a gage for positioning the side of the sheet with respectto said aperture, said side gage being located a distance from suchaperture equal to one-half the distance between the fastening means.

11. A file or the like having fastening means adapted to pass throughthe paper at two points and having a cover forming a support for a papersheet to be perforated, the cover having an aperture therein adapted tolie under the paper when in position,

a sheet metal box having perforated top and bottom plates connected attheir sides and provided With an end flange, said perforations being inalinelnent and said structure being secured to the Cover by an-eyeletpassing through a perforation in the bottom plate and the Coverperforation, the end flange being ASituated a distance from the eyeletequalpto one-half of the distance between the fastening means wherebythe connection between the top and bottom plates and the end flangeserves respectively as means for positioning the back and sides of thesheetwhen in position to be perforated.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed l 5 my name in the presenceof tWo subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM A. COOKE, JR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner o! Patents,

Y Washington, D. C.

